Method of manufacturing an external force detection sensor

• US 20060110843A1
• Filed: 12/06/2005
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Inventors: Oguchi, Takahiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,393,714 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/52
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/025 Inertial sensors not provided for in B81B2201/0235 - B81B2201/0242
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00579 Avoid charge built-up
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00587 Processes for avoiding or controlling over-etching not provided for in B81C1/00571 - B81C1/00579
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/0132 Dry etching, i.e. plasma etching, barrel etching, reactive ion etching [RIE], sputter etching or ion milling
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/014 by depositing an etch stop layer, e.g. silicon nitride, silicon oxide, metal
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5719 using planar vibrating masses driven in a translation vibration along an axis
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0814 for translational movement of the mass, e.g. shuttle type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 148/012 Bonding, e.g. electrostatic for strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 148/135 Removal of substrate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 148/159 Strain gauges

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an external force detection sensor in which a sensor element is formed by through-hole dry etching of an element substrate, and an electrically conductive material is used as an etching stop layer during the dry etching.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an external force detection sensor, comprising the steps of:

providing an element substrate including a front surface side and a back surface side having a sensor element forming area;

forming an etching stop layer of a conductive material only in the sensor element forming area of the back surface side of the element substrate;

arranging a support substrate with a recessed portion therein on the back surface side of said element substrate, the recessed portion being arranged opposite to the etching stop layer of said element substrate;

joining the support substrate to the element substrate;

through-hole dry etching the front surface side of the element substrate until reaching the etching stop layer so as to form a sensor element.

2. The method of manufacturing an external force detection sensor according to claim 1, further comprising the step of reducing the thickness of the element substrate to a predetermined thickness after the step of joining the support substrate to the element substrate and before the step of through-hole dry etching the front surface side of the element substrate.

3. The method of manufacturing an external force detection sensor according to claim 1, wherein the element substrate includes a silicon material.

4. The method of manufacturing an external force detection sensor according to claim 2, wherein the element substrate includes a silicon material.

5. The method of manufacturing an external force detection sensor according to claim 1, wherein the support substrate includes a glass material.

6. The method of manufacturing an external force detection sensor according to claim 2, wherein the support substrate includes a glass material.

7. The method of manufacturing an external force detection sensor according to claim 1, wherein the step of joining the support substrate to the element substrate includes the step of anodically joining the support substrate to the element substrate.

8. The method of manufacturing an external force detection sensor according to claim 2, wherein the step of joining the support substrate to the element substrate includes the step of anodically joining the support substrate to the element substrate.

9. The method of manufacturing an external force detection sensor according to claim 1, wherein an etching selectivity of the conductive material has a ratio of a dry etching rate of the element substrate to a dry etching rate of the etching stop layer of at least 1.

10. The method of manufacturing an external force detection sensor according to claim 2, wherein an etching selectivity of the conductive material has a ratio of a dry etching rate of the element substrate to a dry etching rate of the etching stop layer of at least 1.

11. The method of manufacturing an external force detection sensor according to claim 1, wherein the sensor element is a movable element.

12. The method of manufacturing an external force detection sensor according to claim 2, wherein the sensor element is a movable element.

13. The method of manufacturing an external force detection sensor according to claim 1, wherein the conductive material of the etching stop layer is electrically conductive.

14. The method of manufacturing an external force detection sensor according to claim 2, wherein the conductive material of the etching stop layer is electrically conductive.